Floor vise for holding doors and the like



Nov. 2, 1954 H, ENGLISH FLOOR VISE FOR HOLDING DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 22, 1951 INVENTOR flan/e9 129 031 BY Vh -E1nm I A: QMORNEY United States Patent FLOOR VISE FOR HOLDING DOORS AND THE LIKE Harvey W. English, St. Paul, Minn. Application September 22, 1951, Serial No. 247,781 2 Claims. (Cl. 144-296) This invention relates in general to vises and pertains more particularly to an improved clamping device of this character for supporting doors, windows and the like in a vertical position.

One important object of the invention 18 to provide a clamping device adapted to rest upon the floor which will firmly support an article such as a door or window in an upright manner while such article is being planed, weatherstripped, etc.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a vise of the foregoing type that is sturdy, light weight and completely portable in nature. Also, my vise 1s easily collapsed into a compact condition when not in use. In this connection, it is within the purview of my invention to provide means for pivoting one set of clamping jaws relative to a second set, such means serving as a handle for transporting the device from one location to another.

A further object resides in the provision of structure that will readily release its grip on the clamped article without the user having to stoop over to effect such release.

Another object of the invention isto employ anti-slip means for preventing skidding of the vise across the floor and also to prevent slippage of the dumped article relative to the vise.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a floor vise that can be inexpensively produced, both from a labor and materials standpoint. With reference to the use of low cost materials, it is to be noted that my device is susceptible to being made entirely from wood. Thus it will be seen that my vise avoids the use of metals which are sometimes found to be in short supply.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of my floor vise in actual use,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken in the direction of line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of my device in a collapsed or folded condition.

Referring now to the drawing, my floor vise comprises a pair of end members or irregularly shaped plates and 12 which extend in transverse fashion to support a pair of fixed jaw elements 14 and 16 and a pair of pivotally supported jaw elements 18 and 20.

The jaw elements 14 and 16 are respectively secured to the plates 10 and 12 by a plurality of nails 22 or similar fastening means. Although I have disclosed mechanical fastening means, it is to be understood that my entire device lends itself readily to being held together by an adhesive, this latter expedient sometimes being preferred. A longitudinal strip 24 is secured to the underneath side of the elements 14 and 16 and provides desirable reinforcement for said elements. As may be best seen from Figure 2, the jaw elements 14 and 16 are disposed in an inclined relation with respect to a horizontal surface, and therefore have their lower ends angled at 26 to provide a resting face for the jaw elements, the jaw elements in this way also serving as legs for the vise. The upper ends of the jaw elements 14 and 16 are angled at 28 in order to provide a vertical clamping face for these elements.

From the several figures of the drawing it will be ice seen that the jaw elements 18 and 20 have their upper and lower ends angled in a similar manner to the fixedly positioned jaw elements 14 and 16, the upper ends thereby presenting clamping faces 30 which oppose the faces 28 and the lower ends presenting floor engaging faces 32 which cooperate with the faces 26 in supporting the vise. As previously indicated, the jaw elements 18 and 20 are pivotally supported. Pivotal support for these elements is provided byanchoring the opposite ends 34 and 36 of a bar or rod 38 in the two end plates 10 and 12. This is preferably accomplished by providing the plates 10 and 12 with aligned apertures 40 and 42 which receive the ends 34 and 36, a pair of nails 44 and 46 driven radially into the ends 34, 36, assuring retention of said ends.

Apertures 48 and 50, which are slightly larger in diameter than the bar 38, are drilled through each of the jaw elements 18 and 20. The bar extends loosely through each of these apertures to pivotally carry the elements 18 and 20. As will presently be made clearer the apertures 48, 50 are placed closer to the upper ends 30 of the elements 18 and 20 than to their lower ends 32. Corresponding in function to the strip 24, a strip 52 has its end portions affixed to the underneath sides of the elements 18 and 20. The strip 52 also acts to move the jaw elements 18 and 20 in unison.

At respective loci 54 and 56 submediate the opposed faces 28 and 30, and having a width co-extensive with the transverse spacing between these clamping faces, I notch the plates 10 and 12 to form a means for cradling a panel, door, window, or other objects 58 to be worked upon. If the object 58 is of relatively short length, then the object may be supported in a parallel relation with the floor; on the other hand, when the object is quite long, as would be the case if the object were a clothes closet door, then one end may rest upon the floor, my vise supporting the other end; or if desired, two vises may be employed, one at each end. It will be observed from Figures 1 and 2 that a plurality of varied thickness shims 60 are illustrated, these being desirable when a relatively thin object is being clamped. Thus, it will be appreciated that the notches 54 and 56 can be made wide enough to accommodate the thickest material likely to be worked upon, and that any excess space may be filled with the shims 60 when thin stock is to be clamped. Of course it will be recognized that the pivoting action of the jaws 18 and 20 permit the clamping of various sizes of objects over a fair range without the utilization of any shims.

In view of the fact that my device is particularly suitable in carpentry work and in further view of my experience in dealing with all grades and types of woods, I have discovered that some of the hard woods, particularly if their side surfaces have already been finished, are sometimes diflicult to hold, there being a propensity for these woods to edge their way along the vise, for instance, when being coarsely planed. In the case of the softer and more resinous woods this problem is not of any great importance. Nevertheless, it is within the contemplation of the instant invention to provide means for overcoming the above mentioned problem. Accordingly, I propose to recess the faces 26, 28, 30 and 32 sufiiciently to receive a small rubber grommet or suction element 62. Such elements 62 possess a concave face 64 and may have a non-circular screw head embedded therein, the threaded shank 64 thereof extending into the jaw elements 14, 16, 18 and 20 as shown. While the threaded top of the drill used in forming the recesses for the reception of the resilient elements 62 produces a good starting hole for the pointed end of the shank 64, it may sometimes be desirable to omit the use of screws, utilizing in their stead a firm bonding cement for retaining the grommets 62 in place.

It is thought that my floor device is of such simple construction as to be self-explanatory from an operational standpoint. However, it will be appreciated that after the vise has been placed on a floor or other substantially horizontal surface, the article 58 to be worked upon is cradled into the vise as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and if circumstances so dictate, the proper number of shims 60 l atented Nov. 2, 1954 can be added. Assuming that the fragmentary object 58 is a door that requires planing, it will be appreciated that the downward pressural force exerted upon the plane by the artisan, plus the conjoint. action due to the weight of the door, will cause the jaws 18 and 20 to be pivoted about the bar 38 and their upper ends to tightly grip or clamp said door, the fixedly positioned jaws 14 and 16 cooperating in absorbing the clamping reaction thus produced. When the planing operation has been completed, the door is easily lifted from the vise, and should the suction elements 62 be utilized, then a slight oscillation of the door from side to side willreadily break the suctiongrip produced by these elements.

As previously indicated, the pivot bar 38 passes through the jaw elements 18 and 20 more closely neighboring the upper ends 30 of the elements 18 and 20 than their lower ends 32. Not only does this arrangement produce an enhanced leverage of the jaw elements, but affords an additional advantage-in the form of producing a more compact condition of the entire device when it is folded or collapsed into the relationship depicted in Figure 3, for the lower ends32 then nest well within the confines of the plates 10 and 12 and abut the reinforcing strip 24. The bar 38 may then serve in the capacity of a convenient handle for carrying the folded structure.

Still further, it is within the scope of the invention to lengthen the jaw members of my device over those dimensions normally found necessary in order to render the vise suitable as a saw horse. When the jaw members or legs are so lengthened, a cross piece may be inserted in the vise upon which the lumber to be sawed may be supported. Preferably, such cross piece should be T-shaped in cross-section to provide a relatively wide horizontal surface upon which the work can rest.

In accordance with the patent statutes, 1 have described the principles of construction and operation of my floor vise for holding doors and the like, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made Within the scope of the following claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

stantially vertically when in operative position, a conmeeting member holding said legs in spaced substantially parallel relation, transverse plates secured to opposite sides of one vise element and spaced from the lower ends of said legs, said plates extending substantially parallel horizontally from said one vise element when said elements are in opposed upwardly converging relation, and a pivot bar connecting said plates to the other vise element, said upper ends of said legs of the two elements being 0pposed and movable toward and away from each other upon pivotal movement between said vise elements and the lower ends of the legs of said other vise element being movable into juxtaposition intermediate the upper and lower ends of the legs of said one vise element.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in which the upper edges of said plates are below the level of the upper ends of the legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 552,400 Spires Dec. 31, 1895 689,376 Young Dec. 17, 1901 1,042,232 Job Oct. 22, 1912 1,161,983 Schultz Nov. 30, 1915 1,191,687 Gillett July 18, 1916 1,421,370 Ashworth July 4, 1922 1,446,309 Krohne Feb. 20, '1923 1,524,653 Hill Feb. 3, 1925 1,682,671 Gooding Aug. 28, 1928 2,487,742 Sutter Nov. 8, 1949 

